Episode Details

Episode Overview

In this Southwest Virginia Fishing Report from The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with guide and writer Matt Reilly for a late-June conditions update covering the bug bite, streamer strategy and musky gear. With water running very low and clear across most drainages — and a near-94°F heat spike bearing down on the region for the Fourth of July — Matt explains why the current conditions are still worth fishing hard. Damselflies, dragonflies and terrestrial insects are out in force, and in technical low-water scenarios, Matt argues that surface bug presentations become the most reliable path to a bigger fish on Southwest Virginia rivers. The approach requires patience and timing: he describes starting the morning with streamers while fog limits visibility on the flats, then feathering into surface presentations as sunlight penetrates and fish become more active and visible in shallower water.

The episode also branches into musky territory with Matt sharing details from a Hatch Magazine rod review he just published on the new Redington Big Game 11- and 12-weight fly rods. He breaks down why the 12-weight's grain window (550–700 grains) makes it function as a two-hander, and flags its all ceramic guides as a landmark feature — the first time a major manufacturer has run ceramic guides all the way up the blank, something boutique builders like Reilly Rod Crafters and Chippewa River Custom Rods have long recognized as essential for musky fly rod design. Matt walks through the aerial casting sequence he uses with two-handed setups — sidearm to tease the head out, elliptical overhead to shoot — and covers the Scientific Anglers Custom Cut line as the tool he reaches for when he needs to reach the upper grain windows.

Key Takeaways

• How to build a daily game plan around low, clear water by starting with streamers in the foggy morning window and gradually transitioning to surface presentations as sunlight arrives and fish activate on flats.
• Why low, clear summer conditions on Southwest Virginia rivers can actually work in your favor, making surface bug presentations the surest route to a larger fish in technical water.
• When to recalibrate your expectations around the adult crayfish molt cycle — and why Matt saw that window arrive roughly a month earlier than its typical late-June/early-July timing this year.
• How two-handed musky rods expand the physical and tactical playbook, allowing heavier and bulkier fly designs that single-hand rods can't realistically turn over, while also improving ease of casting for the angler.
• Why ceramic guides all the way up the blank matter on a musky rod, and what the Redington Big Game 12-weight signals about where mainstream manufacturers are finally catching up to the sport.
• How to execute the sidearm-to-elliptical aerial casting sequence with a two-handed musky setup, using the Scientific Anglers Custom Cut line's color change as a practical cue for when to shoot.

Techniques & Gear Covered

Matt describes a two-phase low-water strategy: streamer fishing in the overcast, foggy morning window to capitalize on reduced visibility and fish willing to chase, then feathering into surface bug fishing once the sun gets up and fish become active and visible on the flats. Damselflies, dragonflies and terrestrial patterns are identified as the go-to presentations in late June for drawing bigger smallmouth in technical conditions. The Redington Big Game musky rods — an 11-weight and a 12-weight — anchor the gear discussion, with t